Autumn...er, sort of

It's here. That lull between seasons. The fall colors are gone, but the snow has yet to fall. Skies are gray and the air is cold. This morning, I ponder my food.

I made myself a cup of coffee this morning, dark and earthy, lightened by a generous glug of raw cream from my neighbor's cow. I finished a bowl of whole milk yogurt made by a farm in Westfield and sweetened by yet another neighbor's maple syrup. I'll snack on a crisp local apple while i walk up the hill to the college kitchen where i work. A localvore without even trying!

We are baking potatoes in the Kitchen today. Big, crackly russets with starchy flesh to be filled with sharp VT cheddar, fresh salsa made from tomatoes still growing down the road in the greenhouse of my (albeit recently) famous farmer friend and hardy cilantro that managed to find cover underneath the yet to be pruned, bent over branches of stubby sunflowers. There will be sour cream, crumbly bacon, pungent winter hardy greens for salad and a warm cauldron of creamy broccoli soup to accompany.

Tonight, a reading of Wendell Berry's Mad Farmer is happening at Claire's Restaurant, sponsored by the wonderful Galaxy Bookstore in Hardwick. Yay!